Attorneys announced on Tuesday that they intend to file at least 120 lawsuits on behalf of people who say they were sexually abused by Sean “Diddy” Combs and his associates.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee spoke next to sexual abuse victims advocates and co-counsel Andrew Van Arsdale, of AVA Law Group, at a press conference and added that many of the alleged victims have already spoken to law enforcement authorities, including the FBI.
He said most of the victims they represent had been scared to speak out until Combs was arrested and indicted by federal authorities in September. He has pleaded not guilty.
“They fear backlash in their communities, they fear backlash in their own families. They are afraid of retaliation from the perpetrators and their associates. They are rightly afraid for their own personal safety,” Buzbee said. “I expect that through this process, many powerful people will be exposed, many dirty secrets will be revealed.”
The attorneys said more than 3,000 people reached out to them about possible abuse, and they now represent 120 accusers. The alleged victims come from more than 25 states with a majority of them living in California, New York, Georgia and Florida.
They are evenly split between women and men, with about 62% of them identifying as African Americans, 30% identifying as white, and the remainder either Asian or Hispanic, he added.
Buzbee said at least 25 were minors at the time of the alleged abuse, with the youngest being 9 years old. The attorney said the child was brought to New York City by Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Records, for an audition, but was sexually abused by Combs and his associates at the studio. The boy was promised that he and his parents would get a record deal, Buzbee said.
The victims’ cases will be filed individually against Combs and may also include corporate entities such as banks, pharmaceutical companies and hotels who Buzbee said profited off the abuse.
An attorney for Diddy did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. He has previously said Diddy is eager to tell his story and has denied allegations of other sexual abuse lawsuits.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.